The Marlowe Papers

Ros Barber

On May 30th, 1593, a celebrated young playwright was killed in a tavern brawl in London. Or so the official version goes. Now Christopher Marlowe tells us the truth: that his ‘death’ was an elaborate ruse to avoid prosecution for heresy; that he lived on in lonely exile, pining for his true love from across the Channel; and that he continued to write plays and poetry, hiding behind the name of a colourless merchant from Stratford – one William Shakespeare.

Ros Barber is the author of three collections of poetry, the latest of which (Material, Anvil, 2008) was a Poetry Book Society recommendation. Her poems have appeared in many publications including Poetry Review, London Magazine, the Guardian and Independent on Sunday. Her short fiction, which won prizes in the Asham and Independent on Sunday short story competitions, has been published by Bloomsbury and Serpent’s Tail. The Marlowe Papers was written as part of a PhD funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Born in Washington DC and raised in England, Ros Barber now lives in Brighton.

2013 Shortlist

2013 Longlist

Previous winners

The Women's Prize Podcast


Tune into host Vick Hope and a line-up of incredible guests on our weekly podcast full of unmissable book recommendations.